Fitness

What is Tabata? Can it Help You Meet Your Fitness Goals?

Tabata training was named by it’s creator, Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata. His team of researchers ran tests on two groups of athletes. The first group worked out 5 days a week for 6 weeks, for one hour, at a moderate intensity level. The second group only did 4 days a week for 6 weeks, and for only 20 minutes, taking only 10 second breaks in between sets. The results? The second group built more cardiovascular strength than the first group, and more muscle. The first group didn’t really see much change in their muscle. Thus, Tabata was born.

The basic Tabata workout is one activity for 20 seconds, at the highest intensity you can do. A 10 second break, then repeat 8x. Your total workout time should be 4 minutes. Then you move on to the next activity. It’s High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). The activities are usually squats, burpees, jump rope, and push ups. But there are many other tabata workouts you can look up online. Give it a shot, and after 6 weeks, revel in your results.